Like you said, that was a lot deeper than I thought it’d be. Not a sore spot or anything. :]

You didn’t bore me at all. I like my letters from my other “adopters” like you call them, but yours make me laugh. You can tell me anything and I’m sure it would be funny.

You can send more pictures like the Aurora Borealis one anytime you want… if you have any.

Hope to hear from you soon,

Aaron

From: [email protected]

Date: October 6, 2008 2:05 a.m.

To: [email protected]

Subject: Showers, Costumes, and Things

Aaron,

You should know one of my favorite things is making people laugh. And by “people,” I really mean myself. Game on.

Yes, more things happened. I can’t even say getting puked on was the worst. Keep guessing.

A month and a half without a shower? Eww. :) If I don’t shower every day, a one-mile perimeter needs to be cleared. Did someone higher up than you finally order a shower to be built when the smell got too bad? I faintly remember my brother mentioning shower trailers. How many men are in a company? I hope I don’t regret it, but how long exactly did (or do) you wear the same uniform?

Best costumes in movies… Memoirs of Geisha, Moulin Rouge, Gone with the Wind, LoTR. There are so many. Those are just a few of my personal favorites for wardrobe. Have you seen any of those?

I did read the Lord of the Rings book, but I haven’t read them over and over again like a lot of people I know. Only once. Do you read at all while you’re overseas?

The videos aren’t going anywhere. She has a big competition in two weeks in Moscow. I’ll tell you how it goes.

Please don’t feel obligated to answer any of my intrusive questions about your family. I’ve met a couple people with high-functioning autism before. One of them is married and has a good job.

Your ex breaking up with you while you’re gone is really lame. I remember my brother telling me that kind of thing is really common when you’re deployed or on a tour. What do they call them? Dear John letters? It wasn’t like she didn’t know what she was getting herself into when you left. Were you together long? I want to ask if she had a good reason for breaking up with you, but if it was unexpected, I can put two and two together. There I go asking questions that aren’t any of my business again. Don’t answer that if you don’t want to.

Designing and alterations is all I do. If something needs a needle and thread or a sewing machine, I can tackle it, and no, not everything ice-skating related I sell is for people in Houston. I’m about to blow your mind: I have a website. People order my work on there. They send me measurements and I get it done. It’s a small percentage of work I get though. I have to turn down work because I either can’t take the time off to get outfits done within a certain time frame, or can’t go take measurements in person. I’ve sold ice-dancing dresses and outfits to Russia, France, once to Japan. Mostly, I make things for a discount to younger figure skaters who can’t afford the bigger name designers in the industry. It’s an expensive sport, and it used to be that most skaters come from wealthy families, but now a lot more don’t. I help some ice-skaters resell their costumes when they can’t use them anymore, too.

You asked about getting better at sewing/designing. I started taking classes at my community college by my house as soon as I could for needlecraft, pattern making and fashion design, and have gone to a couple workshops. I even did an internship once with this Ukranian lady who yelled at me half the time, but she sure did teach me a lot.

I was so surprised at seeing just how many wounded vets there are. My brother goes to these meetings twice a month, and I’ve gone with him once. It breaks my heart. Not every injury is physical. People don’t realize that. I’m sure you’ll figure out what you want to do whenever the time comes.

What made you go into the military?

I have a few other prints I’ve collected over the years I could send you, if you wanted. I overheard my brother once tell my other brother about how many topless photos of women the guys he was in the marines with put up on their walls. This is a judgment-free zone. You can put your photos next to whoever or whatever you want.

This is already really long, but you wanted me to tell you something funny so let me do that. I was talking on the phone to my friend this morning (early afternoon, same difference) and was so distracted I poured orange juice into my cereal bowl.

Best wishes,

Ruby

From: [email protected]

Date: October 8, 2008 2:17 p.m.

To: [email protected]

Subject: Re: Showers, Costumes, and Things

Ruby,

…did somebody pee on you? You should know I couldn’t type that sentence with a straight face.

No one ordered a shower to be built. The shower trailer had burned down. A few of the guys got desperate and found an industrial coffee maker that they rigged up to warm water, and built a shower out of that. It didn’t work great, and you had to stand in mud the whole time, but it was better than nothing. Last deployment I brought one of those bags you fill up with water and let sit in the sun so you can shower outside just in case the same thing happened… it worked. Two hundred sweaty men were in my company. I was swapping out T-shirts and socks every other week…. It was just as bad as you’re thinking.